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Banned
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 18,162
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Tell me about Moto Guzzi
Local guy has a 1996 Sport 1100 for sale.
Using older Ducati as a yard stick, how do they stack up in terms of A) reliability and B) finding parts. This is the beast. 
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03-09-2010, 10:54 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Higgs Field
Posts: 22,598
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As with Ducati, we are blessed with a dealership right here in Seattle. Seems to me that, with that as a consideration, parts and service shouldn't be any harder to come by than with our Ducs. Walker just finished fixing up a pretty cool old Eldorado, and I don't remember him mentioning any difficulty in finding what he needed. You might give him a hollar and get his impressions on that.
Guzzis have a reputation for being hell for stout. I have no first hand experience, but that's what I hear from those who have or have had one. More like an "Italian BMW" than anything else. That said, they are rather "industrial" compared to your Duc's. Much, much heavier, shaft drive, lower reving and less powerful. I think you might find a "sporting" Guzzi to be a big step backwards from what you are used to. I think they would make for fine sport-tourers when properly configured for that duty, but this one doesn't appear to be meant for that.
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Jeff '72 911T 3.0 MFI '93 Ducati 900 Super Sport "God invented whiskey so the Irish wouldn't rule the world" |
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03-10-2010, 06:03 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: North Vancouver bc
Posts: 5,293
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That is a great looking bike.
What is the pricetag on that beauty ? |
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03-10-2010, 06:56 AM
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RETIRED
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I had a 850 LeMans, fun bike and bullet proof. Unique in that not everyone has one. Shaft drive and easy valve adjustments as compared to the Ducatis.
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1983/3.6, backdate to long hood 2012 ML350 3.0 Turbo Diesel |
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03-10-2010, 07:42 AM
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beancounter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Weehawken, NJ
Posts: 3,593
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I've had two Guzzis...a '79 LeMans CX-100, and an '83 1000-SP.
If you take an old air-head BMW boxer twin, and push the cylinders up to a 90 degree V, that's a Guzzi...the Italian BMW. Very easy to work on...parts availability is good, but they're never cheap. Guzzi has gotten some ridiculous mileage from their tooling...again very much like the old BMW "R" bikes. That 1100 sport uses the same basic engine and transmission as my '79. I think the first model to use those components was the V7 sport, back in the early 70's. Pretty sure the with the 1100 sport you're still dealing with the 5 speed gearbox, which is a bit agricultural, and full of false neutrals. I'd consider that machine more of a sport-tourer or GT bike...I always found my Guzzis to be in the sweet spot on a winding two lane highway, at about 60-65mph. Very comfortable at that speed, and right in the meat of the torque curve. For faster work in the twisties, or burning up the interstate, I always preferred the Ducati as its much more willing to rev. I guess that's why I've bought and sold two Guzzis while I've had the Duc now for 15 years.
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Jacob Current: 1983 911 GT4 Race Car / 1999 Spec Miata / 2000 MB SL500 / 1998 MB E300TD / 1998 BMW R1100RT / 2016 KTM Duke 690 Past: 2009 997 Turbo Cab / 1979 930 |
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03-10-2010, 09:25 AM
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beancounter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Weehawken, NJ
Posts: 3,593
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Quote:
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Jacob Current: 1983 911 GT4 Race Car / 1999 Spec Miata / 2000 MB SL500 / 1998 MB E300TD / 1998 BMW R1100RT / 2016 KTM Duke 690 Past: 2009 997 Turbo Cab / 1979 930 |
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03-10-2010, 09:28 AM
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Da cab
